By Sabri Dibaco
The Deputy Governor of Western Equatoria State, Justin Joseph Marona, has announced that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) will immediately begin party membership registration across the state’s ten counties after receiving official registration forms from the party’s General Secretariat in Juba.
The registration forms were handed over on Tuesday by the SPLM-IO General Secretariat under the leadership of the party’s Interim Chairman, Ambassador Stephen Par Kuol.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the forms, Marona, who also serves as the SPLM-IO interim chairman in Western Equatoria State, commended the party’s interim leadership for its commitment to implementing the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement.
He said the registration exercise would commence without delay across all ten counties of Western Equatoria, describing it as an important step in preparing the party for the country’s anticipated elections.
“Our youth are suffering everywhere; the women are suffering everywhere; people are living by the grace of God, and the only solution that can rescue us is elections, togetherness, and seeing each other as brothers and sisters,” Marona said.
He urged South Sudanese to embrace unity and democratic participation, saying the forthcoming elections offer citizens an opportunity to freely choose leaders who will address the country’s challenges.
Marona stressed that a democratic government should prioritise the welfare of citizens through effective service delivery, transparency, and accountability.
“The upcoming elections are an opportunity for the people of South Sudan to elect their leaders. A democratic government is a government of the people, by the people, focused on service delivery, transparency, and accountability,” he said.
The deputy governor reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the registration process reaches all parts of Western Equatoria State as the party mobilises members ahead of the elections.
South Sudan’s political parties have intensified preparations for the country’s planned general elections under the framework of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The agreement provides for democratic elections following the implementation of key transitional provisions. Political parties, including SPLM-IO, have begun organising membership registration and grassroots mobilisation as part of preparations for the electoral process.
The registration exercise in Western Equatoria is expected to strengthen the party’s structures across the state’s ten counties ahead of the polls.